The same as English。
For instead of talking free trade；
Or preaching some form of baptism；
Instead of believing in the efficacy
Of walking cracks； picking up pins the right way；
Seeing the new moon over the right shoulder；
Or curing rheumatism with blue glass；
I asserted the sovereignty of my own soul。
Before Mary Baker G。 Eddy even got started
With what she called science I had mastered the 〃Bhagavad Gita；〃
And cured my soul； before Mary Began to cure bodies with souls
Peace to all worlds！
Imanuel Ehrenhardt
I BEGAN with Sir William Hamilton's lectures。
Then studied Dugald Stewart；
And then John Locke on the Understanding；
And then Descartes； Fichte and Schelling；
Kant and then Schopenhauer
Books I borrowed from old Judge Somers。
All read with rapturous industry
Hoping it was reserved to me
To grasp the tail of the ultimate secret；
And drag it out of its hole。
My soul flew up ten thousand miles
And only the moon looked a little bigger。
Then I fell back； how glad of the earth！
All through the soul of William Jones
Who showed me a letter of John Muir。
Samuel Gardner
I WHO kept the greenhouse；
Lover of trees and flowers；
Oft in life saw this umbrageous elm；
Measuring its generous branches with my eye；
And listened to its rejoicing leaves
Lovingly patting each other
With sweet aeolian whispers。
And well they might：
For the roots had grown so wide and deep
That the soil of the hill could not withhold
Aught of its virtue； enriched by rain；
And warmed by the sun；
But yielded it all to the thrifty roots；
Through which it was drawn and whirled to the trunk；
And thence to the branches； and into the leaves；
Wherefrom the breeze took life and sang。
Now I； an undertenant of the earth； can see
That the branches of a tree
Spread no wider than its roots。
And how shall the soul of a man
Be larger than the life he has lived？
Dow Kritt
SAMUEL is forever talking of his elm
But I did not need to die to learn about roots：
I； who dug all the ditches about Spoon River。
Look at my elm！
Sprung from as good a seed as his；
Sown at the same time；
It is dying at the top：
Not from lack of life； nor fungus；
Nor destroying insect； as the sexton thinks。
Look； Samuel； where the roots have struck rock；
And can no further spread。
And all the while the top of the tree
Is tiring itself out； and dying；
Trying to grow。
William Jones
ONCE in a while a curious weed unknown to me；
Needing a name from my books；
Once in a while a letter from Yeomans。
Out of the mussel…shells gathered along the shore
Sometimes a pearl with a glint like meadow rue：
Then betimes a letter from Tyndall in England；
Stamped with the stamp of Spoon River。
I； lover of Nature； beloved for my love of her；
Held such converse afar with the great
Who knew her better than I。
Oh； there is neither lesser nor greater；
Save as we make her greater and win from her keener delight。
With shells from the river cover me； cover me。
I lived in wonder； worshipping earth and heaven。
I have passed on the march eternal of endless life。
William Goode
To all in the village I seemed； no doubt；
To go this way and that way； aimlessly。 。
But here by the river you can see at twilight
The softwinged bats fly zig…zag here and there
They must fly so to catch their food。
And if you have ever lost your way at night；
In the deep wood near Miller's Ford；
And dodged this way and now that；
Wherever the light of the Milky Way shone through；
Trying to find the path；
You should understand I sought the way
With earnest zeal； and all my wanderings
Were wanderings in the quest。
J。 Milton Miles
WHENEVER the Presbyterian bell
Was rung by itself； I knew it as the Presbyterian bell。
But when its sound was mingled
With the sound of the Methodist； the Christian；
The Baptist and the Congregational；
I could no longer distinguish it；
Nor any one from the others； or either of them。
And as many voices called to me in life
Marvel not that I could not tell
The true from the false；
Nor even； at last； the voice that
I should have known。
Faith Matheny
AT first you will know not what they mean；
And you may never know；
And we may never tell you：
These sudden flashes in your soul；
Like lambent lightning on snowy clouds
At midnight when the moon is full。
They come in solitude； or perhaps
You sit with your friend； and all at once
A silence falls on speech； and his eyes
Without a flicker glow at you：
You two have seen the secret together；
He sees it in you； and you in him。
And there you sit thrilling lest the
Mystery Stand before you and strike you dead
With a splendor like the sun's。
Be brave； all souls who have such visions
As your body's alive as mine is dead；
You're catching a little whiff of the ether
Reserved for God Himself。
Willie Metcalf
I WAS Willie Metcalf。
They used to call me 〃Doctor Meyers；〃
Because； they said； I looked like him。
And he was my father； according to Jack McGuire。
I lived in the livery stable；
Sleeping on the floor
Side by side with Roger Baughman's bulldog；
Or sometimes in a stall。
I could crawl between the legs of the wildest horses
Without getting kickedwe knew each other。
On spring days I tramped through the country
To get the feeling； which I sometimes lost；
That I was not a separate thing from the earth。
I used to lose myself； as if in sleep；
By lying with eyes half…open in the woods。
Sometimes I taIked with animals even toads and snakes
Anything that had an eye to look into。
Once I saw a stone in the sunshine
Trying to turn into jelly。
In April days in this cemetery
The dead people gathered all about me；
And grew still； like a congregation in silent prayer。
I never knew whether I was a part of the earth
With flowers growing in me； or whether I walked
Now I know。
Willie Pennington
THEY called me the weakling； the simpleton；
For my brothers were strong and beautiful；
While I； the last child of parents who had aged；
Inherited only their residue of power。
But they； my brothers； were eaten up
In the fury of the flesh； which I had not；
Made pulp in the activity of the senses； which I had not；
Hardened by the growth of the lusts； which I had not；
Though making names and riches for themselves。
Then I； the weak one； the simpleton；
Resting in a little corner of life；
Saw a vision； and through me many saw the vision；
Not knowing it was through me。
Thus a tree sprang
From me； a mustard seed。
The Village Atheist
YE young debaters over the doctrine
Of the soul's immortality
I who lie here was the village atheist；
Talkative； contentious； versed in the arguments
Of the infidels。 But through a long sickness
Coughing myself to death I read the
Upanishads and the poetry of Jesus。
And they lighted a torch of hope and intuition
And desire which the Shadow
Leading me swiftly through the caverns of darkness；
Could not extinguish。
Listen to me； ye who live in the senses
And think through the senses only：
Immortality is not a gift；
Immortality is an achievement；
And only those who strive mightily
Shall possess it。
John Ballard
IN the lust of my strength
I cursed God； but he paid no attention to me：
I might as well have cursed the stars。
In my last sickness I was in agony； but I was resolute
And I cursed God for my suffering；
Still He paid no attention to me；
He left me alone； as He had always done。
I might as well have cursed the Presbyterian steeple。
Then； as I grew weaker； a terror came over me：
Perhaps I had alienated God by cursing him。
One day Lydia Humphrey brought me a bouquet
And it occurred to me to try to make friends with God；
So I tried to make friends with Him；
But I might as well have tried to make friends with the bouquet。
Now I was very close to the secret；
For I really could make friends with the bouquet
By holding close to me the love in me for the bouquet
And so I was creeping upon the secret； but
Julian Scott
TOWARD the last
The truth of others was untruth to me；
The justice of others injustice to me；
Their reasons for death； reasons with me for life；
Their reasons for life； reasons with me for death；
I would have killed those they saved；
And save those they killed。
And I saw how a god； if brought to earth；
Must act out what he saw and thought；
And could not live in this world of men
And act among them side by side
Without continual clashes。
The dust's for crawling； heaven's for flying
Wherefore； O soul； whose wings are grown；
Soar upward to the sun！
Alfonso Churchill
THEY laughed at me as 〃Prof。 Moon；〃
As a boy in Spoon River； born with the thirst
Of knowing about the stars。
They jeered when I spoke of the lunar mountains；
And the thrilling heat and cold；
And the ebon valleys by silver peaks；
And Spica quadrillions of miles away；
And the littleness of man。
But now that my grave is honored； friends；
Let it not be because I taught
The lore of the stars in Knox College；
But rather for this： that through the stars
I preached the greatness of man；
Who is none the less a part of the scheme of things
For the distance of Spica or the Spiral Nebulae；
Nor any the less a part of the question
Of what the drama means。
Zilpha Marsh
AT four o'clock in late Oct